Guy Verhofstadt, Brexit coordinator for EU parliament, said UK and EU citizens ‘cannot be victims of a no-deal Brexit’ nor used as ‘bargaining chips’. “In the case of no deal, the European parliament and I have been clear that we want the citizens’ rights deal that has been provisionally agreed to be ringfenced and the EU must honour this,”... The Withdrawal Agreement states that the government would allow those already in the country to stay and enjoy similar rights, even in the event of a no-deal Brexit. However, this will only apply to EU nationals who arrive before March 29 2019, rather than the end of 2020 when the agreed transition period would end.

British citizens living in Europe are torn over whether or not to back the agreement that would preserve most of their rights, but confirm the UK's exit from the EU. ... If MPs approve Theresa May’s ... Brexit deal, the terms of Britain’s future relationship with the EU will have been broadly defined. In such a scenario, May’s Conservative government could ... lead the next phase of negotiations with the bloc after March 2019 and Brits in the EU will have retained most of the rights they currently enjoy, although some crucial ones will be lost. ... If the Withdrawal Agreement is approved, the rights of Brits to remain indefinitely in their host country would be secured, as would their index-linked pensions, healthcare cover... But those rights would be landlocked... Their right to vote in local elections also hangs in the balance. That is why many Brits are still hoping for a People’s Vote and potentially no Brexit at all.

Valencia’s president Ximo Puig met the UK’s Ambassador in Spain... Sr Puig told Mr Manley ... British residents should not fear any ‘deliberate neglect’ from his coalition government ‘above all where frontline public services are concerned, particularly health’

The British government spelled out ... what it would do to protect the rights of British citizens living in the EU in the event that the UK crashed out of the union without a deal, including those who were forced to return home. The policy paper spells out some of the measures that would be taken to protect the citizens' rights ... if there was a no-deal Brexit. However the government insists that the only way the rights of Britons can really be protected is if the deal is ratified. ... the government accepts that depends on London acting first. ... The paper contains some pledges that will be important to Britons living throughout the EU, notably those who are retired. "Where it is in our control, the UK will also continue to preserve certain rights of UK nationals in the EU, for example by continuing to pay an uprated UK state pension to eligible UK nationals living in the EU." ... On the subject of health and voting the government said: "We understand that access to healthcare is vital and can confirm that UK nationals who returned to the UK permanently in a ‘no deal’ scenario would have access to NHS-funded healthcare on the same basis as UK nationals already living here. They would also be able to register to vote in local and national elections. ... And when it comes to accessing vital benefits and housing, the government ... is considering how best to act to support returning UK nationals. ... in the case of no deal ... "Aspects of the reciprocal healthcare and social security coordination section of the Withdrawal Agreement require reciprocity from the EU or individual Member States and cannot be protected unilaterally," the document said. ... The UK wants is citizens to be able to carry on standing and voting in local elections in the countries where they live and so says it will guarantee that EU nationals will be able to vote in local elections in the UK. ... British in Europe's Kalba Meadows said: "Although we have met with officials at Department for Exiting the EU, we at British in Europe have been trying continuously to meet with the Secretary of State for that department and have never had been invited to do so. "We've also requested meetings with Theresa May on several occasions and our requests have simply not been acted on..."

A panel of regional and local politicians as well as tourism sector representatives discussed their plans to counteract a possible fall in British tourism. ... Colomer, the regional Tourism chief, put across a message of calm and security. ... pointed out ... “We need to read the Brexit agreement’s small print, see how the disconnection is concluded, without customs duties or airport taxes that could halt the arrival of tourists,” Colomer added. Meanwhile, Generalitat is working with the region’s three Diputacion provincial councils, local administrations and the tourist sector to source complementary markets.